08 September 2011

"It was very embarrassing", says a PhD student, age 27, questioned by Mr. Lee Kuan Yew

She had a burning question for former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew last night. Given the big influx of immigrants here in a short time, and a dilution of the national identity, what can we do to create a sense of belonging and foster social cohesiveness, she asked.

She told The New Paper last night: “He’s Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Of course, I expected him to ask me questions. But I thought he would ask what I would do to create a sense of belonging.”

Little did she expect the elder statesman to turn the tables and fire a string of questions at her instead. And rather personal ones at that.

Following her question, Mr Lee spoke about the fast ageing population. That, plus the drop in the fertility rate, are major worries for Singapore’s leaders.

Last year, the total fertility rate – which measures the average number of children born to a woman over her childbearing years – was at an all-time low of 1.15.

Mr Lee said: “The birth rate today, the fertility rate, is 1.01. In other words, for every couple, you have 1.01 babies.

“The Institute of Policy Studies has the grim statistics of 60,000 migrants a year to keep our economy young. We can’t digest that. 20,000 maybe, 25,000 – that’s a stretch – but certainly not 60,000.”

The answer, said Mr Lee, is to get couples to have a fertility rate of 1.8 babies or better still, 2.1 babies. Then the population can replace itself.

Mr Lee paused and looked at her.

“How old are you now?” he wanted to know.“Twenty-seven,” she replied.

The queries came thick and fast: Are you married? (No) When will you finish your PhD? (In two years) So you’ll be 29 then. Do you have a boyfriend? (No)

That was when Mr Lee drew attention to the biological clock and a woman’s child-bearing years.After 35 (years old), the dangers of having children with Down syndrome rises, he said.

P/S: Numerous sectors of Chinese Malaysians have talked about the dwindling number of Chinese population in respect to the other races in the country. Perhaps Mr. Lee KY has hit the correct button which may also apply to the Chinese in this country whom ever growing kiasuism mentality created the scenario.

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歌衫淚影 (梅艷芳)

MyCompleteness

Recognize that we are not flawed because we have negative traits. No one has only positive traits. Recognizing that we have negative traits means that we are complete. And in that completeness we gain grater access to our universal, nonlocal selves.